I think that, if my opponent was carrying a rifle in 223/5.56 or 7.62X39, I would be served better by the .308 as it has a longer range than the other two. I'd rather not get into a shootout with someone who has a similar gun. I'd rather have a little more power. If (during the lst couple of years) I could have gotten new, low priced, imported ammo for the 30-06 as easily as I could for the 308, I would have been plenty happy with that one. But, now, I am well stocked with 308 and 30-06 is not readily available. So, I have what I have and it will have to do.

WHAT OPPONENT?
I SEROUSLY HAVE TO ASK IN WHAT WORLD OR CIRCUMSTANCE DO YOU SEE YOUR SELF IN A SHOOT OUT WITH YOU HAVING A 308 VS SOME OPPONENT WITH A 223? AN IN WHAT WORLD IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN WERE THE RANGE OF A 223 IS GOING TO BE A CONSIDERATION ON IF YOU LIVE OR DIE? THE 223 WILL KILL FROM WELL OVER 500 YARDS.
I REALLY HAVE TO QUESTION WHY GUYS THINK THEY NEED A 308 FOR PERSONAL DEFENSE. 99.9 % OF US HERE WILL NEVER SHOOT AT A HUMAN IN THIS COUNTRY EVER, AN YET I CONTINIOUSLY SEE ALL THE STUFF ABOUT THIS IS BETTER FOR ROOM CLEARING THATS BETTER FOR FIGHTING A LONG RANCE ATTACK NEEDING A 308 OR BIGGER . SERIOULSY ARE YOUR GUYS REALLY BASING YOUR DECISIONS ON CALIBUR ON WEATHER YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT YOUR SELF BETTER AGAINST A 223 AT LONG RANGE ??????? IF I COULD SEE YOUR HEAD AT 500 YARDS WITH A 223 AN WAS SHOOTING AGAINST YOU YPU WOULD BE DEAD. ITS NOT GOING TO MATTER IF YOU HAVE A 223 OR A 300 WIN MAG. IN WHAT WORLD IS THERE EVER GOING TO BE AS SITUATUON WERE YOUR SHOOTING BACK IN SELF DEFENSE AT THESE RANGES?
A 308 IS GOING TO BLOW YOUR EAR DRUMS OUT INSIDE IT IS LILEY GOING TO OVER PENITRATE ANY WALL OR CAR OR WHAT EVER YOUR SHOOTING INTO .
A 308 IS GOING TO WEIGH MORE IN ALMOST ANY PLATFORM AN SLOW YOU DOWN.

I SEE TO MANY GUYS SAYING THEY NEED THIS OR THAT FOR PROTECTION, ROOM CLEARING, SNIPING ETC AN THE TRUTH IS YOUR GOING TO EITHER SHOOT PAPER DIRT CLODS OR HUNT WIHT WHAT EVER YOU GET .

PERSONAY ID GET THE GUN BECAUE YOU LIKE IT , YOU LKE SHOOTING THAT CALIBUR, THE ROUND IS CHEAPER TO SHOOT, THE GUN WAS A GOOD DEAL , ETC AN WORRY ABOUT THE SLIM TO NONE POSSABILITY THAT YOUR GOING TO BE IN A LONG RANGE SHOOT OUT WITH ANOTHER HUMAN .

ALMOST EVERY CENTER FIRE RIFLE I OWN IS GOING TO GIVE ME PROTECTION FROM AN ATTACK. IF IN SOME SLIM CHANCE I WAS PINNED DOWN IN SOME INCONCIVABLE SITUATION WERE I NEEDED TO SHOOT BACK AT SOME "OPPONET" IM GOING AFTER WHAT EVER GUN IS CLOSEST AN LOADED.

THERE IS A REEASON OUT TROOPS DONT USE 308 AN 30-06 IN COMBATE ANY MORE THERE TO HARD TO CONTOL GET FOLLOW UP SHOTS , THE AMMO IS TO HEAVY TO CARRY AN THE GUNS ARE TO HEAVY. THATS WHY THYE DONT CARRY MI GARANDS AN M14,S .

IF THERE IVER IS A SHITF , ZOMBIE , TERRORISTS INVASION, MALL NIJIA OUT BREAK IM GOING TO WANT THE LIGHTEST EASIEST TO CARRY GET AWAY RIFLE. I WOULD NOT GRAB A 308 AN RUN ID LIKELY GRAB A 223 OR EVEN A SHOT GUN.

IF GUYS WANT A PERTICULAR ROUND GREAT GO BUY IT. I PERSOANLY AM GETTING TIRED OF ALL THE I NEED A XXXXX FOR YYYYY REASON .

HAND GUNS I CAN UNDER STAND ALL THE DISCUSSION AN YOU MIGHT ACTULY NEED ONE SOME DAY AGAINST A ATTACKER .

HONESTLY IT DOSNET MATTER WHAT RIFLE YOU HAVE IF YOUR PINNED DOWN OR EVEN ON THE ATTACK YOUR ABILITY TO SHOOT IT WELL IS GOING TO OUT WEIGH ANY CALIBUR CHOICE INSIDE OF 300 YARDS AN OVER THAT YOU SHOULD BE RUNNING TO SAVE YOUR LIFE IF POSSABLE.

AS FAR AS 223 VS 308 AT SAY 400 YARDS . A GOOD SHOT CAN LIKLEY LAY DOAN 50% MORE ROUNDS ON TARGET WITH A 223 VS A 308 RUST FROM THE RECOIL DIFFERACES ALONE HE WILL ALSO SEE THE IMPACTS OF THE 223 WERE YOUR NOT GOING TO SEE THE HITS OF A 308 BECAUE THE GUN WILL NOT BE ON TARGET.

I HAVE 223, 7.62X39 , 308, IN A AK PLATFORM . WIHT MY 223 I CAN KEEP THE GUN ON TARGET SEE MY HITS ALMOST AS FAST AS I CAN REAIM AN PULLTHE TRIGGER . THE 7.62X39 IS WORSE AN THE RECOIL WILL CAUSE YOU TO LOOSE YOUR TARGET AN NEED TO REACURE IT . THE 308 IS MUCH MUCH WORSE.

YEA THE 308 MIGHT SHOOT THROUGH A WALL BETTER OR A DOOR OR WHAT EVER BUT ITS GOING TO COST YOU 75% LESS TO LEARN TO SHOOT THE 223 INITALY AN THATS WHAT IS GOING TO MATTER. IMO.

I PICKED UP SOME TATICOOL MAGAZINE AN IT WAS REDICULAS WHAT SOME OF THE STUFF PEOPLE THINK THEY NEED . THE TRUTH IS A FARM KID WITH A 30-30 LEVER ACTION WOULD LIKLEY BE MORE EFFECTIVE THAN SOME OF THE IDIOTS WHO SPEND $3000 ON SOME DECKED OUT AR IN SOME NEW WONDER ROUND .

IF WERE EVER INVADED IM SELLING ALL MY GUNS AN BUYING A PLANE TICKET TO MEXICO AN ENJOYING LIFE.

Oh crap, no one likes 8mm Mauser, I have more of it than anything else - do you remember when you could get 1000 Rd's or better for $85.00, thats when I stocked up, It looks like I blew it. Oh well, most of it is berdan primer junk anyway. In truth though, yes 308 or 7.62x51 is the best North American round for whats on the lower 48.

"The two enemies of the people are criminals and goverment, so let us tie the second down with the chains of the Constitution so that the second will not become the legal version of the first" ~ Thomas Jefferson

YEA THAT DOSENT WORK ON ZOMBIES IN THE USA, ONLY IN EUROPE WILL 8MM WORK ON ZOMBIES YOU WILL NEED TO BUY A 223 OR MAY BE A 6.5GRENDAL FOR AMERICA UNLESS THE ZOMBIES WERE TURNED FROM HUMAN AFTER 2011 THEN YOU NEED
A 300 BLACK OUT AN IT MUST HAVE BARNES TX LOADS OR IT WONT WORK. APARENTLY THE NEWBREED OF ZOMBIES CANT BE KILLED WITH A 7.62X39 EVEN WITH ZOMBIE MAX BULLETS.

Oh crap, no one likes 8mm Mauser, I have more of it than anything else - do you remember when you could get 1000 Rd's or better for $85.00, thats when I stocked up, It looks like I blew it. Oh well, most of it is berdan primer junk anyway. In truth though, yes 308 or 7.62x51 is the best North American round for whats on the lower 48.

Dang, I bought that Turk 8mm for 1400rds for a hundred delivered . Good cheap stinky Mauser bolt rifle ammo. My Hakim & FN49 semiautos don't like it. Have some other surplus 8mm with nickel/silver projectiles that works fine on Zombies in the US.

the real answer for which cal is best is "which cal you got plenty of ammo for."

the 308 is very good all around sort of a 30-06 little brother sort of speak.

one reason it was so popular for so long was there was mountains of 308 nato left over from the cold war.

most of that has been shot up.

it is a bit "Much" for a defensive rifle -- overkill --though you could say the same for many of the hunting rifle rounds and older military standard rounds like 30-06.

the big advantage the 308 had on the 5.56 was barrier penetration. 5.56 with some of the better ammo was able to fill the DRM position pretty well. though it did not replace the 308 m40s and m24s for the sniper role.

another thing is if size and weight are an consideration --pack about 6 belts of 7.62 nato in you pack and head up hill for a while--LOL

I have mostly 8MM Mauser and .308 ammo. I should have enough to last me the rest of my life. I can practice and still have enough to get me through any potential emergency system.
And, I hope that 1biggun is right. I hope that I never find myself in a situation where I might have to point one of my guns at a human being. My motto (many others feel the same) is: "Never point your gun at anything that you don't want to shoot!"
And, I really do not want to hurt anything. I don't even go hunting, although, if that was the only way I had to put some food on the table, that would change. I don't even like to shoot into tree trunks. It may not do damage, but I can't see it doing the tree any good.
My favorite things to shoot are clay pigeons. Once they are broken up they blend back into the ground and disappear. I think that they are harmless to the soil. I absolutely detest people who like to shoot bottles and leave the broken glass laying around. This creates a hazardous situation that will last for decades.
Again, I like to shoot for fun. And, shooting living things ain't fun.

I have a 50MM ammo can full of 30-06 left over from a rifle I once had. If I can find the right gun in that caliber, I will purchase it. I have enough ammo to shoot it for a while. But, I still think that I will choose the .308 as my main go-to gun.